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12 Feb 2017

GUIDE TO SUPERFOODS

I’M BACK! Finally! I’m so happy to finally
get back into my blogging rhythm, after having dealt with last semester’s exams
and going on the loveliest city trip to Budapest with my high school besties. I
really hope to get back to posting more regularly from now on. I took my time
to get my planning game on point and managed to create a blog-school-social
life-schedule which I’m quite pleased with, if I say so myself! ;) I’m also
working on a new blog lay-out, so what you’re seeing now isn’t the final look.
I still have a few bits to tweak on here!

Now on to the blogpost! I’ve created a
guide to different amazing superfoods that have nothing but benefits for your
body and also taste great – which is an absolute must!

Ever since I stopped eating meat and fish,
I’ve been on a non-stop hunt for nutritious foods to add to my everyday diet. I
quickly found out that there’s this thing called ‘superfoods’ and obviously, I
was intrigued. According to Wikipedia, a ‘superfood’ is a marketing term used
to describe foods with supposed health benefits. There’s no scientifically or
medically correct definition that says which food can be specified as a
superfood, it’s just a useful term to describe certain foods that have a
combination of several health benefits. That being said, the following guide
gives you a general idea of how these foods can
be beneficial. It also goes without saying that these superfoods are not a
replacement for a healthy diet and they most certainly are not capable of
curing diseases. What they can do for
you is be an addition to your eating pattern by containing everything from
vitamins over minerals to antioxidants, which is especially great if you’re
vegetarian or vegan. If you’re not, superfoods can still be an awesome way to
naturally give a boost to your diet!

Oh, I should also mention that, sadly,
superfoods are becoming more and more commercialised over the years, which
means they get more expensive. The good thing is that you probably already have
some superfoods in your kitchen at the moment. If you’re into exploring new
things, you can always try out some of the more exotic superfoods.

These are my absolute favourites!

EVERYDAY SUPERFOODS

Apple
cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is made from, you guessed it: apples! It’s high in
probiotics, promotes digestion and supports a healthy immune system. Besides
that, apple cider vinegar is an overall great product for your body, since it
helps regulate the pH levels of your skin and hair. You can use it as a natural
hair conditioner, just use like you would with a normal conditioner.

AvocadoOh, avocados; the absolute best friends of
vegetarians and vegans! But trust me, they’re so worth the hype! Avocados
contain a ton of healthy fats and potassium, along with vitamins B, C and E. I
like adding them to any Mexican-spicy-curry-type meal or you can squash them
and turn them into guacamole.

Berries
I love berries, because they’re sooo delicious and good for you at the same
time. My personal favourites are raspberries, strawberries, mulberries and blueberries.
These last two are especially beneficial. Mulberries are high in vitamin C,
calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. Blueberries contain fibre, vitamin C
and K and tons of manganese (an energy-boosting mineral that supports bone
health).
One of my favourite ways to have berries is in a smoothie. It gives you the
boost you need in the morning and tastes nice and sweet.

Cacao
powder
Cacao powder is not the same as cocoa powder. Cacao powder is the raw and
unprocessed version, while cocoa powder contains a lot of additives (mainly
sugar) and isn’t nearly as healthy as cacao. Proper cacao powder is high in
antioxidants, magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron and it can help improve circulation and cardiovascular health. It’s also said to be a great
mood booster, which we already knew, didn’t we? :)

Cacao powderNutsI have nuts on a daily basis. They’re a great snack
to bring to school and they’re just delicious.Nuts in general are a great source of protein, fibre and essential
fats.

Walnuts are high in antioxidants
and contain healthy fats that help take care of your heart, skin and hair.

Almonds are my absolute fave! They help maintain healthy
cholesterol levels and contain vitamin E, magnesium and calcium, which is great
if you’re vegan!

I also love brazil nuts. They
contain selenium for example, which is a mineral high in antioxidants and helps
with our brain function and it’s great for hair and nails as well.

Lastly, hazelnuts are wonderful
because they are a rich source of protein, fibre, vitamin E, vitamin B,
manganese and magnesium.

Almonds, hazelnuts & brazil nutsPomegranatePomegranate is such an all-round amazing fruit.
It’s delicious and has a ton of health benefits. These pink fruits are rich in
vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants. They are believed to lower blood
pressure, help the regulation of cholesterol and help prevent several types of
cancer.
It’s not always easy to find great fresh pomegranates, and they’re also not
that easy to open and get the seeds out. That’s why I like having pure pomegranate
juice. You can buy it in glass bottles in health food stores and even in most
supermarkets. We recently got an organic pomegranate syrup. You can just add
fizzy water as it makes for a great lemonade replacer.

Apple cider vinegar & pomegranate syrupSeedsOkay, we need to talk about seeds. If you’re vegan
or vegetarian (or even if you’re not), you need seeds in your life. I add them
to almost any meal, not only because they’re healthy and contain a heap load of
good calories, but also because they taste delish and add a nice crunch to anything.
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have gotten a glimpse of how I like to
add them to my food.
There are so many types of seeds, but these guys are my favourites.

Pumpkin seeds are one of the
most versatile of all seeds. They contain a heck of a lot of protein and
minerals, including copper (needed for energy and collagen production),
magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and zinc. When roasted, they’re an awesome
snack on their own.

Flax seeds or lin seeds are
particularly high in fibre, fatty acids and magnesium. I like adding these to
my granola in the morning. Keep in mind that to benefit from their full pack of
nutrients, you want to get the ground/milled version since that helps release
the nutrients from their shell.

Sesame seeds are a great source
of zinc, protein, fibre, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium and iron.

Sunflower seeds are loaded with
proteins, vitamins B and E and folic acids, which is needed for DNA synthesis.
Besides that, they contain a wide variety of minerals, such as calcium, iron,
manganese, copper, zinc and magnesium.

Pine nuts/seeds are an
excellent source of vitamin E and B and help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and
increase HDL (good cholesterol). They’re also one of the fewer gluten-free
nuts.

Spices

Cinnamon is rich in
antioxidants and is said to improve your metabolism and reduce inflammation.
Plus, it tastes lovely (try adding it to oatmeal!).

Paprika is high in vitamin C
and is therefore great to keep your skin healthy.

Turmeric is a vibrant yellow
spice that is particularly known for having inflammatory effects.

Paprika, turmeric & cinnamon

EXOTIC SUPERFOODS

Chia
seedsChia seeds are becoming more and more popular these
days, so I was interested to see what the fuss was all about. And I have to
say, I’ve been loving them so far! I mainly just like adding them to smoothies.
They’re amazing because they’re high in fibre, protein, omega-3s and healthy
fats. Besides that, they can be used as egg replacer since they swell up if
added to water.

Coconut
oil (virgin)Coconut oil has been popular for a few years now
and it has a lot of uses both in the kitchen and in the bathroom. It contains
vitamin E and K and iron. For more info on coconut oil and its different uses,
check out my post here!

Shredded coconut & coconut oilGoji
berriesYou can find dried goji berries in pretty much every
health food store and in some supermarkets. They contain a wide variety of vitamins
(A, B, C, and E), minerals and protein. I love adding these to smoothies or
granola, because they taste nice and sweet.

Hemp
seedsHemp is a family member of the cannabis plant. But
WAIT! Before you go jumping to conclusions, this variety does not get you high! :) It doesn’t contain
nearly as much THC (the compound responsible for getting you high) as its
cannabis brother, which means that hemp is NOT considered to be a drug. It’s
perfectly fine to consume (in moderation, like any other superfood) and has so
many beneficial properties. For example, it contains all ten amino acids,
making it one of the best plant-based protein sources (perfect if you don’t eat
animal protein!). Other than that, it also has several essential fatty acids,
omega 3 & 6, vitamin E, fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc.
I love adding hemp seeds to smoothie bowls or even in my granola or muesli,
since it gives me the protein I need during the day!

Spirulina
powderThis superfood is an interesting one. It’s a type
of blue-green algae and it’s known for being the most nutritious food on earth (gram
to gram, that is). It’s super high in protein (it contains all essential amino
acids), antioxidants, vitamins B1, B2 and B3 and every mineral our body needs.
Though I’ve just summed up all its wonderful benefits, I’m still not entirely convinced.
I’m still looking for ways to incorporate it into my diet, but for now all I
can think of is green juices. It also has quite a distinct flavour, not
particularly bad, but just a bit different then what I’m used to! :)

SpirulinaQuinoaLike many other superfoods, quinoa has been on the
rise. Articles all over the web claim it’s the next best thing. But I must admit,
I kind of love it.
Just like hemp, quinoa in one of the fewer superfoods that contains a complete
range of amino acids, making it a perfect protein replacer for its animal
competitor. Besides protein, it also contains a lot of fibre and minerals.
I like using quinoa in my nuts-and-seeds-mix, to add to salad or other dishes.
It can also be cooked and used as a replacer for rice for example.

ON MY ‘TO TRY’-LIST

To finish off this post (which turned out to
be longer than expected, sorry ‘bout that :) ), I
just want to mention a few superfoods that are still on my list to try out.

Açaí
powder
Açaí powder has got to be the first on my list. I’ve seen açaí bowls all over
my Instagram and can’t wait to try it out soon – especially since they say it
has a berry flavour! This powder is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and
minerals, giving you an energy boost when you need one.

KaleSupposedly high in fibre, vitamin A, C & K.
Still not quite sure if I’d like the taste of it though!

Matcha
powderEven though it sounds like the previous one, this
matcha powder isn’t quite the same. It’s a form of green tea from Japan and is packed
with antioxidants. Since it is said to give you an energy boost, it’s a great
replacer for coffee!
I just got back from Budapest and noticed that you can even order matcha lattes
in quite a lot of places actually!

Gosh, I’ve never typed that many minerals
and vitamins in my life haha. If you’ve read up to this point, congrats and
thanks! :) Hope this helped you in any way!
Let me know if I’ve left out any of your favourites!

Remember though that these so-called ‘superfoods’
don’t replace a healthy and balanced lifestyle. For me, they are just a great
addition to my diet, especially since I avoid meat, fish or dairy.